Photos: 10 things you might not know about Lance Berkman

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/Dave Einsel - Special Contributor.
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT LANCE BERKMAN: Lance Berkman may be knew to the Rangers, but he's certainly not new to Texas. As Berkman prepares for his first full season in the American League, here's a look at 10 things you might not know about the six-time All-Star.

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/Bob Levey - Getty Images.
Berkman has spent most of his life in Texas. He was born in Waco, attended New Braunfels Canyon High School, went to college at Rice, and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round in 1997, playing 12 years with the organization before getting dealt to the Yankees in 2010.

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/Dave Einsel - Special Contributor.
Berkman says his Texas roots go back at least six generations on both his mother's and father's sides. He owns a ranch between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, an area of the Pedernales River Valley that he views as the most picturesque part of the state. “Being from Texas is special,” Berkman told SportsDay's Evan Grant. “It’s not something I take lightly. We have a culture that’s all our own. We are unique.”

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/Dave Einsel - Special Contributor.
With such deep ties to Texas, Berkman knows there’s plenty to love about his home state. His favorite Texan singer is Robert Earl Keen, his favorite BBQ joint is Cooper’s in Llano, and his Texas sports hero is former Cowboys QB Roger Staubach. But perhaps most importantly of all, his Whataburger order: All the way with no jalapenos.

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/TED KIRK - AP.
During his junior year at Rice, he took the school to its first College World Series and very nearly took a job as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater before deciding to sign with the Rangers this winter. He has a keen interest in returning to the college game, which he says is "less jaded" than MLB. "In the majors, most people want to believe it’s all about winning, but there are a lot of guys who play for their individual accomplishments and the betterment of their families," Berkman told SportsDay's Evan Grant. "In college, it is simply about the competition.”

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According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, during a game at Wrigley Field Berkman once caught a Twinkie thrown from the crowd, unwrapped it and ate it. Given the recent circumstances at Hostess, it's unlikely he’ll be able to repeat the feat again.

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A switch hitter, Berkman is naturally left-handed when throwing and right-handed when hitting. “There’s probably not three or four guys in the big leagues that do that,” Berkman told the Belleville News-Democrat in 2008.

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As an Astro, Berkman finished second to Miguel Tejada in the 2004 Home Run Derby at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, losing the final round 5-4. It was the closest Berkman got to winning the competition in three tries. (MLB.com)

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/Louis DeLuca - Staff Photographer.
Berkman's knees have suffered through quite a lot during his 14-year career. Since entering the big leagues, Berkman has undergone six separate knee surgeries, including two during the 2012 season alone. Still, Berkman's been a workhorse player throughout his career, averaging nearly 148 games per season from 2001 to 2011 before the knee troubles kept him sidelined for much of last year.

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/Pat Sullivan - AP.
Berkman donned himself “The Big Puma.” After disliking the original nickname many fans had given him due to his plumpness, “Fat Elvis.” Berkman mentioned to a couple Houston-area radio guys he was more like a puma and it went from there. (Houston Chronicle)

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/Tony Gutierrez - AP.
After batting .248 with just 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in the 2010 season with the Astros and the Yankees, Berkman seriously considered retiring. “It’s no fun to stink,” Berkman told the Austin American-Statesman in August of that year. “If it doesn’t turn around, if things don’t work out (in New York) and I don’t hit, I think retiring is a real possibility.” You know how that ended.

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/Vernon Bryant - Staff Photographer.
With the Rangers one out away from the championship in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against the Cardinals, Berkman singled to bring home the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning (MLB.com). You know how that ended too.